I Was Michelangelo in My Past Life

A clear blue sky.

Kang-seok's arm moved swiftly.

He was sketching the object he had seen within the marble.Gray lines appeared on the drawing book resting on his knees.But Kang-seok wasn't satisfied with a single sketch.The pages of the sketchbook kept turning.

One page, two, three, four, and as he reached the fifth—

The warning bell signaling the end of lunch rang.

In ten minutes, the fifth period would begin.

Most of the kids had already left the playground. As he watched the students start to swarm toward the main entrance, Kang-seok stood up as well. It was time for him to head to class.

Tuesday, fifth period.

It was the first life drawing class of the first semester of third year.

...

Behind the main building.

After climbing the steps placed in the back yard near the snack bar and walking a bit, the art practice buildings came into view.

The practice buildings of Cheonghwa Art High School weren't a single structure, but a collection of various small and large buildings behind the main one. Each building was formally named after a blue flower.

Kang-seok walked toward the building on the far right among them. In his hand, he held a semi-transparent plastic pencil case.Most students had already entered, and the entrance was silent.

As he entered the building, he saw a sketch of a delphinium.

Delphinium.That was the name of the building where the drawing studio was located.

After glancing at the sketch, Kang-seok climbed the stairs.The life drawing studio was on the third floor of the Delphinium Hall, officially part of the practice buildings.

When he entered the room, the students were setting up their easels by class. It was a familiar scene. Unintentionally, the students glanced at Kang-seok.Some eyes that had been watching him now turned toward Ko Doo-han.

"I heard Ko Doo-han teacher made him an offer...""Must be true. I heard he came to see Kang-seok in class before first period today.""Seriously?"

And as if to live up to everyone's expectations, Ko Doo-han lifted his cap slightly and greeted Kang-seok when he saw him.

"You're here."

"Yes."

"Take a seat."

"Yes, sir."

The short exchange made the students mutter in awe, their mouths forming small O's.

Students in the arts were always quick to pick up on things.While they glanced at Ko Doo-han for showing more friendliness than usual,

Kang-seok greeted Lim Woo-hyun, the homeroom teacher for Class D, and turned away.

The drawing studio was structured so that once you opened the door, there was a wide central space like a living room, with two connected rooms facing each other.The right side always housed Class A and B; the left, Class C and D.

Kang-seok, who would usually head left without thinking, this time walked to the right.

"Hey, Ms. Ju. Do you remember if the piece Seok exhibited in the first-year show was sold?"

Ju Sarang, her watercolor brush stuck in her hair like a hairpin, turned to look.Walking with her was Jung Byung-kwon.

Normally glued to the sculpture studio at the far end of the leftmost practice building, Jung seemed awkward in the hallway, still in his work clothes.If the principal hadn't summoned all the art department teachers for a meeting, he'd still be hiding in the studio.

"Mr. Jung?"

"...Hmm. If I remember correctly, it wasn't sold."

"Really?"

Ju Sarang's dim eyes looked at Jung Byung-kwon.No matter her mood, her black pupils were always dull.Jung nodded, thinking he was finally getting used to that look.

"Yes. But... I remember Seok's parents came to take his work home after every exhibition. They said they'd keep it instead of throwing it away."

Jung added with a far-off look.

"Since his parents run a furniture store, I believe they had plenty of storage space."

"...Is that so?"

Ju Sarang turned fully toward him and muttered. "Too bad."If the piece were just rotting in the sculpture room, she might've bought it on the spot.Early works by famous artists often carry a premium, regardless of their quality.But with the parents holding onto it, there was nothing she could do. She couldn't exactly tell them to sell it cheap.

Just then—

"You two came together?"

Someone interrupted. It was Son Dong-wook, the life drawing class instructor.Jung, who was close with Son, gave him a look: Why are you here?Understandably so—only the art department instructors were summoned to the meeting.It should have been Ko Doo-han in his place.

Ju Sarang asked, equally surprised, "What's going on? Did Mr. Ko send you?"

"Yes. He said he couldn't miss class since he might lose a pearl, so he sent me instead."

Son Dong-wook laughed sheepishly.

Jung and Ju both nodded. It sounded exactly like something Ko Doo-han would say.Ju turned the knob of the principal's office door.

When it opened, bright light spilled into the previously shadowed hallway.It was so white and yellow it stung the eyes.

"Mr. Jung, Ms. Ju."

"You've arrived?"

"It's been a while~"

The other instructors greeted them as they entered.Meanwhile, the design instructor threw a "Where's Ko Doo-han?" at Son Dong-wook as he walked in.

Jung greeted each of the design, Korean painting, and animation instructors in turn, then headed toward an empty seat.Ju had already moved near the animation teacher.

"Principal."

Jung bowed to the person seated on the sofa.As he stood, he noticed a figure sitting beside the principal.

Who? There was no one else supposed to be here.He looked up at the silhouette.

White silk tinged with jade.Long white hair and beard like a Daoist immortal.

"P-Professor!"

It was Yang Seon-gu, Jung's former mentor and a giant in the world of sculpture.A first-generation sculptor who had promoted Korean sculpture globally under the Sangkang Group.

He had refused to abandon teaching even while preparing his own works during Cheonghwa Art High's founding.When others criticized the loss of the "hungry spirit," he quietly donated his own funds to feed others instead of himself.

"What brings you here?"

That was the first question Jung asked.

"What do you think? I came to move the marble block."

Despite his age, Yang stood tall, proving he still wielded a saw himself for sculpture.

"The marble?"

"The small one on the field. Can't just leave it there being a nuisance."

"You mean the one that's 19 feet high, 12 feet wide, and 11 feet deep?"

That's 5.79 meters tall, 3.65 wide, and 3.35 deep. Far too massive for a high school playground.The principal sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Yeah. I came to move that before April."

"...April?"

"There's the sports festival. Gotta move it before then."

Yang stroked his beard. "Have you decided where to place it for the work?"

"Ah, that..."Jung fell silent.Kang-seok hadn't yet decided on a location, and Jung himself lacked a studio, hence bringing it to school.

But if it became known he had passed the marble to Kang-seok, who knew what rumors would swirl?So Jung clamped his mouth shut.

"We haven't decided yet."

"...Really?"

"It's all because you gave him that absurdly huge marble, Mr. Yang. Mr. Jung's struggling too. Please sit, Mr. Jung."

The principal scolded Yang lightheartedly, then tapped the seat next to him to invite him to sit.

Jung glanced around—Ju and Son were already seated.He quickly sat down.

Everyone turned back to Yang, sensing the exhibition meeting wouldn't begin until this was resolved.

Yang seemed unbothered, stroking his beard like a broom before closing his eyes in thought.Soon, his eyes opened lazily.

"If there's no place, we can provide one."

He looked at Jung.

"How about Bloom at Namsan?"

Bloom?

Jung's eyes widened.

Bloom was a private museum nestled in Hannam-dong at the foot of Namsan.Run by the Sangkang Foundation, it was a large museum that harmonized nature, architecture, and city.

Every instructor recognized it—and was stunned.Letting someone use Bloom as a workspace? Unbelievable.

Despite all the talk of him being a "master," this showed how powerful Yang truly was in Korea.

"Would that be satisfactory?"

Jung recalled Kang-seok asking if he knew of a good studio.Bloom. He nearly said yes on the spot but bit his lip and thought.

Kang-seok rode his bike. The location wouldn't be far.Even for late-night sessions, the commute from home or school wasn't bad.

He had been worried about Kang-seok not having a workspace—this was ideal.No, nothing could beat Bloom.

Unable to ask Kang-seok, he decided to accept first.

"If you'd allow it, I'd be most grateful."

"No need to thank me."

It was Yang who had dumped the marble on them, after all.If anything, it was his fault for assuming Jung had enough space.

"Well, then let's begin the meeting."

The principal nodded, satisfied.

Yang stood up.He had come with mobile tower cranes, a trailer, a low-bed heavy truck, and even a mining dump truck.He had to move the marble to stop the principal from pestering him every morning and evening.

"I'll move it today. Come take a look after school."

"Yes. Thank you."

Yang gazed warmly at his youngest pupil, then strolled out of the office.Sunlight poured through the window and clung to his hanbok.

A night like Bluebeard's beard, dark and mysterious.

An uncanny crescent moon hung in the sky.

Kang-seok turned off the headlight his father had fixed and slowly stepped off his bike.The Bloom Museum glowed so brightly it could've been daytime. A soft, yellow light like a full moon in bloom.

"They really moved the marble I'll be working on here?"

Having only seen it in photos or media before, Kang-seok was speechless.

Moments like this, when the advancements of modern science felt real, always brought back the memory of an old man coiled in his belly.

How the world has changed.

A strange kind of awe.He wondered how the world would evolve in the future as he stepped forward—

Or tried to.

Where am I supposed to go?He was so shocked he forgot he had searched for the map on his phone.As he looked around—

"Lost, are we?"

Someone behind him spoke.The tone was like addressing a child clearly lost.Kang-seok turned to see who it was.

A man dressed like a mountain spirit was looking at him.

It was Yang Seon-gu.

That was how Kang-seok and the master sculptor Yang Seon-gu first met.